This invention relates in general to a plant shelter and, more particularly, to a type thereof which can be readily and quickly adjusted to change the amount of sunlight or other light reaching the surface covered by the shelter, which utilizes materials that are inexpensive and readily available.
Persons acquainted with the problems of raising crops or plants which are sensitive to excessive sunlight, at least during portions of their growth and especially in regions where the radiation from the sun can become intense, have long recognized the need for a shelter which can adjustably restrict the amount of sunlight reaching said crops or plants. Many shelters have been developed and used for this purpose, but they have presented serious problems to their users. For example, many of the existing shelters have been fabricated from expensive materials and, therefore, have been wholly unsuited to use where large areas, such as 10 or more acres of ground, are involved. Moreover, said existing shelters have been difficult to assemble and/or adjust and often created serious obstructions to the movement of machinery and personnel through the area covered by such existing shelters. More specifically, where the shelter covers large plants, such as trees, or large crops, such as hybrid feed corn, it has been difficult at best to harvest, spray or perform other operations upon the plants or crops in the shelter. This has been largely due to obstruction by the existing shelter tops which have been difficult to move.
In addition to the foregoing, existing plant shelters have been such that it has been necessary, either because of the type of structure involved or because of the manpower required, to leave most of the shelter exposed to the weather during the substantial period between planting seasons.
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is the provision of a plant shelter which utilizes relatively inexpensive and readily replaceable cover means which can be easily and inexpensively adjusted to control closely the amount of sunlight which reaches the plants under the shelter.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a plant shelter, as aforesaid, which is extremely sturdy in construction, and which includes cover support means that occupies a minimum amount of space on the ground and, therefore, which produces a minimum of obstruction to the movement of machinery and manpower through the area covered by the shelter.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a plant shelter, as aforesaid, having cover means which can be easily stored during the nonplanting season, thereby extending the useful life of said cover means by protecting it from unnecessary exposure to the elements.